USAT East round 3: We’ll always have Algonquin

If you are low-rated or low-scoring, you are punished by being demoted to the Morris Rooms. So out of the main ballroom we went for round three, playing a 1200-rated team. We won with a little drama. Board Four Kevin won in approximately 10 minutes.

(Title explained: The Morris rooms used to be called the Algonquin rooms, probably named after one of the tribes that used to live around here before they were offered valuable land in the West in exchange because Euro settlers liked this better. They can change the name of the hotel rooms, but I will always refer to the demotion as being “algonquinized”.)

Several top teams did indeed lose or draw in the first two round – Brutalizers (seeded 5th) got smoked 3-1 in round 2 and Pawn Storm (seeded 7th or 8th) lost as well. The top seed is Dean Ippolito’s 2199 squad featuring a GM on second board. They’re still cruising along, as is Greg Kaden’s  highly rated team.

Chess blogger note: Lo and behold, I had the pleasure of finally meeting DK Transformation, playing in his first USATE!